Tag Archives: marvel universe

Dec 30 2010

Marvel: X-Men Origins Wolverine Comic Series Deadpool by Hasbro

Holy crap. This Deadpool figure is easily the coolest surprise I got this Christmas. I guess I’ve been gassing on about Deadpool a lot since I’ve been reading Deadpool Corps, and that’s got me going back and re-reading the original ’97 run of the Deadpool comics. I guess, a buddy of mine took it as a hint and sent me this figure and I am in love with it and totally blown away by its very existence, since I’d never seen it before. I think it’s amazingly ironic that a movie that completely butchered the Deadpool character just happened to spawn an action figure line that gave us this awesome guy under the comic series sub-line. And to think that whenever anyone mentioned the Wolverine Origins Deadpool figure, I was just thinking of the horrible movie version.

Ah, the X-Men Origins Wolverine cardback. It’s the same artwork of Hugh Jackman as Logan snarling at you on every generic card, complete with the unnecessarily long movie title, and practically screaming, “BUY THIS FIGURE, BUB!” About the only thing I can say good about this movie was that it was better than Elektra. If you think that’s really a compliment than you should know that I once spent a three hour flight opting to stare at the seat in front of me than watch the in-flight showing of Elektra. But now I can say something else better about the Wolverine movie… it gave me this figure, almost as an apology for fucking up Deadpool so badly in the film. It’s also worth noting that the back panel has one of the lamest possible bios for Deadpool that could possibly written. If i were writing that bio, I would most definitely have mentioned the time when Deadpool sucker punched 16-year-old Kitty Pryde right in the stomach. [Volume 1, Ish 27, I believe. -FF] Now, that’s classic Deadpool. Fortunately, everything on display under the bubble is pure love.


After ripping open the package, and thoroughly destroying it so that I can pretend this is indeed a Marvel Universe Deadpool and that I never actually owned a figure in any way associated with the Wolverine movie, it’s easy to see that Deadpool is indeed glorious. Deadpool is one hundred percent compatible with the Marvel Universe figures, as he uses a very similar body type. The paint apps are immaculate, which is more than I can say for a lot of the MU figures. Deadpool’s belt and harness are a separate piece of soft plastic and includes two scabbards for his swords. It would have been nice if it were easily removable to offer up some more display options, but I can’t see any easy way to remove it without disassembling the figure.

Articulation includes a ball jointed neck. His arms feature ball jointed shoulders and elbows and swivels in the wrists. His legs have ball jointed hips, double hinged knees and swivels in the ankles. His torso features the swivel/ab crunch that is common in most of Hasbro’s MU and GI JOE figures.


Deadpool comes with a nice array of weapons. He has two ninja swords, both of which fit in the scabbards criss-crossing his back. He has an automatic pistol that fits in his holster, and he’s got a si that you can tuck into his belt. He’s also got a folded-stock AK-47. Alas, there is no figure stand included.

It’s amazing to me that Hasbro hasn’t repacked this figure into a Marvel Universe card. What’s even more amazing is that when I called my friend to thank him profusely for such an awesome gift, he just shrugged it off and said that the figure cost next to nothing. So, why is it that I can’t get a MU Bullseye figure for under $35, but Deadpool here can be had on the cheap? What’s that all about?

Dec 29 2010

Iron Man 2 Comic Series: Hulkbuster Iron Man by Hasbro

It’s been a long time since I’ve picked up an Iron Man 2 figure. In the beginning, I was picking up all of these figures, but little by little, I grew weary of seeing the same damn figures on the pegs over and over again. It was the Indiana Jones debacle all over again [Oh, Hasbro, when will you learn??? -FF] and so I just stopped looking. It was just by sheer happenstance that I spotted Hulkbuster Iron Man on the pegs and picking him up was a no-brainer.

The packaging hasn’t changed in this line from the last time I looked at these figures. It’s honestly bizarre to see these cards still dominating so many pegs so long after the movie has come and gone from both theaters and the DVD/Blu-Ray release. The fact that my Walmart still has about 15 pegs dedicated to Iron Man 2 and no Marvel Universe whatsoever really pisses me off to no end. But that’s another issue. The packaging is still great. The bubble is huge and shows off the figure wonderfully, which should please carded collectors to no end.

Two things to know about this figure: He’s big and he’s awesome. Considering how good the sculpting is on the regular Iron Man suits, it’s only natural that Hulkbuster’s larger canvas would be equally impressive. The figure is covered with all sorts of panel lines and plating, as well as the hydraulics for the joints in the arms and legs. The paint apps are solid, although, I do wish Hasbro had matched the colors used on the torso and the limbs and head a little better. It’s not enough to really detract from the figure, but it is noticeable. Still, I love the Hulkbuster design and even if you aren’t one of those crazies that has to own every single variation of Tony Stark’s suits, this one is a pretty distinctive one to add to your collection. Especially if you find your Hulk figure getting unruly on the shelf.

Hulkbuster’s articulation consists of ball joints in the shoulders, elbows, hips, and ankles. The wrists have swivel cuts and the knees are double hinged. He can turn his head from side to side also, and he has a ball joint in the middle of his torso so he can swivel and do an ab crunch. The only thing really missing are swivels in the biceps, which would have been appreciated.

What’s this? No giant missile firing accessory? Nope. Hulkbuster doesn’t come with any weapons at all, although considering the extra plastic that went into making him, I’m not surprised. He does come with the same style of figure stand as all the Iron Man 2 figures. Also included are the three overlay cards that can be fitted into the stand as a backdrop. It’s still a great idea, but Hulkbuster is just way too big to work very well with the stand, which is tiny by comparison. Yeah, you can still plug his foot into it, but he doesn’t need it. He stands fine on his own. Still, I suppose it’s a nice addition if you want to display all your Iron Man 2 figures with the cards in a uniform fashion.

There’s no doubt that the Iron Man 2 line is getting long in the tooth, and it doesn’t help matters that many of the late wave figure are still not showing up on the pegs because they are still clogged with Wave 2 figures. Nonetheless, Hulkbuster Iron Man is proof positive that there are still nice surprises to be found here if you look hard enough. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll even stumble across Whiplash or some of the Drones. But that’s probably just crazy talk.

Dec 18 2010

Marvel Secret Wars Comic Pack #10: Dr. Doom, Absorbing Man and The Wasp by Hasbro

Welcome back, folks. Up today is part two of Hasbro Comic Pack Weekend, and yes, another Secret Wars pack. Last time I bitched and moaned about the relevance of the figures included with #6. This time around, the selection is a little less befuddling, mainly because Hasbro could have included Doom with pretty much any issue and he would have been appropriate. The Wasp would have been better packed in #6 and as for Absorbing Man, well, I think he appears in one frame of #10, which is more than I could say about Ultron in #6. But I’m done with all that, so let’s just look at the figures.

Doom is as iconic to me as just about any other character in the Marvel verse. I’m not saying that just because I have a bizarre and unnatural affection for the character, but… yeah, actually I probably am. And it goes along with the fact that I’ve been reading The Fantastic Four’s funny books almost consistantly since I was a wee lad. So, how I waited this long to add Doctor Doom to my MU collection is beyond me. Let’s face it, these comic packs were not tough to find, and yet somehow I passed these up on the pegs over and over again until now. Sure, Doom really, really deserves a single carded release, but then Hasbro could hardly have not included him as a figure in the Secret Wars series. Plus,they’ve done such a great job with this figure, I hardly see much need in hurrying to get another version out on the pegs.


Before I say anything about the Doom figure, let’s point out the obvious. Yes, he shares Ultron’s arms and legs, but it’s a natural fit and a really smart cost-saving move on Hasbro’s part. I have no problem with it. The head sculpt is about the only other place where Hasbro had some room for interpretation and I like where they went with it. It’s not necessarily the most traditional form of Doom’s mask, but I do love it and the finer details on the sculpt is exceptionally good, considering many of the comic pack figures tend to be “softer” than the single carded figures. The rest of Doom hits al the iconic points with his green, brown belted tunic, and hooded cape with gold clasp. Doom’s hood is part of his head sculpt, but the cape is removable. Doom comes with his trademark broom-handled Mauser, but his sculpted holster is just for show.


Moving on to Absorbing Man, another character that I’m really glad to have on hand for when my Modern Thor gets tired of kicking the shit out of Wrecker. [Yeah, I only have the Modern Thor figure, but I’m working on rectifying that as we speak. -FF]. Like Doom, Creel here seems to be a much better quality figure than I’m used to getting in these comic packs. The sculpt is really outstanding, particularly the head which captured his malicious smirk and his pointy dome. The detail in his muscles is excellent and even the sculpted treads on the bottom of his boots is worth remarking on.

Hasbro used paint apps to show off Creel’s absorbing abilities as the left side of him is gradually morphing into what looks like metal, mostly on the side of his face and his arm. The effect works well, but I do have an issue with his wrecking ball accessory. Shouldn’t he be able to hold the wrecking ball in his metal-morphing hand? It is supposed to be part of him, isn’t it? As it is, he can only hold it in his flesh-toned hand, which doesn’t make a lot of sense. It would have been really cool if Hasbro had made it socket into his hand like Mattel did with their DCUC Iron and Gold figures from the Metal Men. Either way, Creel is still a great figure.

And then there’s The Wasp. Be careful opening the package or you could easily lose her. She really is that small. I made it pretty clear when discussing SW#6 that I would really like a full-sized figure of Janet, but I appreciate what Hasbro did here as well. Considering how small she is, the sculpt and paint apps are pretty good and the wings are also nicely executed. Mine does have an unsightly stray black mark on her face, though. It’s not really a figure, but a nice little bonus accessory and something Hasbro might want to repaint and include with a single carded Ant Man later on in the MU lineup, because I would surely buy that.

Any way you cut it, the Secret Wars #10 pack is a homerun. The comic is one of the more interesting issues in the series and the figures are outstanding. Doom and Absorbing Man are easily two of the best executed figures in this whole series of packs, probably with The Hulk fromSW#4 running a close third since I actually vastly prefer the comic pack version to the one Hasbro issued as a single carded release. I’ve only got two more of these packs to hunt down before my set is finally complete, so you’ll be seeing more Secret Wars again in the near future.

Dec 17 2010

Marvel Secret Wars Comic Pack #6: Mr. Fantastic and Ultron by Hasbro

[I’m unofficially dubbing this Hasbro Comic Pack Weekend, since I happen to have a couple of Secret Wars packs and a GI JOE pack to look at over the course of the next three days. Today, we’ll kick it off with Secret Wars #6, tomorrow Secret Wars #10, and on Sunday, GI JOE’s Beachhead and Main Frame. -FF]

Two action figures and a comic book and life doesn’t get much better then that. I love the comic pack in all it’s many forms and franchises and Hasbro has come to do it so well. They’ve certainly come a long way since releasing those shitty repainted figures in the original Star Wars repacks. Remember those stormtroopers with the blue highlights? Yuck! Of course, now the Secret Wars packs are long done and Hasbro closed up shop on the GI JOE and Star Wars ones. Yeah, they seem to still be doing some of the Marvel Universe packs, but it just hasn’t been quite the same.

Before getting to the figures, let me just say a few things about the included funny book. It was a nice treat to re-read Secret Wars #6, as it has been to revisit all of these issues. I’ve been through these books enough times way back when, and when I open these packs, I always plan on just thumbing the comic, and every time I wind up reading it through from cover to cover. It’s great stuff, but why Hasbro decided to include these particular figures with #6 is beyond me. Don’t get me wrong, as you’ll soon see, I’m thrilled to have these figures, but there are so many more obvious choices that will probably never get single carded releases in the Marvel Universe line, whereas nobody would think twice about seeing Ultron or Richards carded in Universe. Case in point: The Wasp dominates the first handful pages all by herself. Yeah, we get her later in her miniature form in the Secret Wars #10 pack (as we’ll see tomorrow), but there’s no reason why we couldn’t have had a full sized Janet figure. Hell, Ultron isn’t even in this issue, but he’s in the pack. See, now I sound like I’m bitching about the figures I got, and I’m not meaning to do that, so I’ll just shut up and move on…
Mr. Fantastic, aka Reed Richards is a solid figure. The sculpt and plastic is a tad softer than what we get in a Marvel Universe single carded release, but I’ve come to expect that in these comic packs. Otherwise, the sculpt is excellent, with the exception of the way his neck comes up from his shoulders, which looks a tad awkward. It works on Reed, however, as I can just write it off to his rubbery manipulations. The paint apps are ok, although his uniform is notably darker than the blue used on the single carded Johnny Storm or Ben Grimm figures. The skin tones on his face are a little dark, like his face is dirty, but I think that’s just a failed attempt to give a bit of wash to the face sculpt.

Ultron is simply awesome. The sculpt gives him a nice powerful look, which I like better than the more lanky version of him we’ve seen more recently. And I was never happy with the FoxKids treatment of him. There aren’t a hell of a lot of paint apps here, but the silver is clean and nicely executed. The head sculpt, though, is where it’s all at. A great job, all around.

Both figures have the same articulation. They have ball jointed necks, their arms have ball jointed shoulders, hinged elbows and swivel wrists. Their legs are ball jointed in the hips, have double hinged knees and the ankles have both hinges and swivels. They can also each swivel and bend in the torso. Ultron’s shoulder articulation is a little at odds with his guards, but you can still get a good range of motion out of them, or just take the guards off entirely.

Secret Wars #6 gives us two solid versions of two very important Marvel figures. If the MU line lasts long enough, these guys will undoubtedly get the single carded releases they deserve, but these versions are good enough that Hasbro can put off their re-release indefinitely for all I care. I would probably pick up a lighter blue uniformed Richards, but I don’t see a reason to pick up another Ultron. This one does just fine by me.

Nov 5 2010

Marvel Universe Week Ends

So, it’s been a long week of Marvel goodness. It wasn’t long ago that I was ready to give up on this line. The distribution was just too frustratingly bad in my area (and it still is), and the figures can get pretty costly ordering them online. But little by little I was tempted back into it by images of the amazing new figures being released and the nostalgia of Marvel Legends days gone by.

My goal with Marvel Universe Week was to get caught up with my existing collection, and while I didn’t get to cover all the figures I wanted to, I think I had a good run at it. I’ll tackle what’s left in future entries, and I’d like to take a sweeping look at the Secret Wars comic packs at some point, but for now, let’s move on to other things…

like DC Universe Week starts Monday!!!! I’ve got Wave 15 of DC Universe Classics coming in early next week, along with a couple of boxed sets from Justice League Unlimited and Infinite Crisis. But before we get to that, I’m going to take a pitstop this weekend to try to get in a look at some new Doctor Who figures, along with some of the last vehicle wave from GI JOE’s 25th Anniversary lineup, which I finally managed to track down this past week.

Nov 5 2010

Marvel Universe: Kitty Pryde by Hasbro

I was pretty excited when I heard that Kitty Pryde was coming to the MU lineup, as I’ll take all the X-Men figures I can get, but then I heard and read some initial reactions to the figure. Most of them were either lukewarm or downright unfavorable. I tried not to let it bother me, because at the time I was trying to deny the very existance of the Marvel Universe line, since I wasn’t having any luck finding them. Then I happened upon this figure hanging on the peg when I least expected it. I didn’t take a lot of time to check her out in the store, because it was just so amazed that I was able to find an MU figure I needed. Turns out, I like her quite a bit.

Well, ya just gotta love that artwork on the card, because damn, she’s sexy. Wait, how old is she? Ok, moving on… the only downside of the fabulous card art is that the figure’s head sculpt couldn’t possibly hold a candle to that. And it doesn’t, but more on that in a second. Kitty’s a pretty diminutive figure, so its a good thing that she’s got her buddy Lockheed in there to keep her company.

It may have sounded like i was slighting the head sculpt here, but I’m really not, because I think it’s fine for a figure in this scale. She’s not gorgeous, but she’s not ugly either. And let’s face it, Hasbro has a seriously troubled past when it comes to making attractive ladies in the 3 3/4″ scale. Did y’all happen to see Rise of Cobra’s Cover Girl? Yikes! So yeah, the head sculpt is just fine and the hair is sculpted in a nicely detailed, and neutral style so it isn’t all crazy wind blown like Ms. Marvel’s.

The body sculpt is very generic, as this figure relies almost completely on the paintwork for detail. That’s not to say it’s not a good body sculpt. I know some fellow collectors who have taken issue with the proportions on some of the MU female figures, but I think Kitty looks just fine.

The coloring on this figure is a pretty simple two-tone black and yellow uniform. Her belt is also painted on. The paintwork is pretty solid, although I confess it wasn’t until I started scrutinizing some of the photos I took that I realized there’s quite a lot of bleeding on the edges, as was the case with Ms. Marvel. The difference here is that the problem areas aren’t as obvious, which gives Kitty the illusion of having a much better paint job than she really does. Although, the paintwork on her face is actually quite good.

Ms Pryde comes with a figure stand, a profile card and a pretty amusing Top Secret document referencing her time spent lost in space. She also comes with Lockheed her space dragon pal. Lockheed is just a very simple piece sculpted in soft purple plastic. It’s not the most exciting accessory, but I like that Hasbro included it.

Kitty sports 17 points of articulation, which ain’t bad for a figure in this scale, but it’s not up to par with many of Hasbro’s other 3 3/4″ figures. She has a ball jointed neck. Her arms have ball joints in the shoulders, hinged elbows and swivels in the wrists. Her legs have ball joints in the hips, she has double hinged knees and her ankles have both swivels and hinges. She also has a ball joint just under her chest and a swivel in her waist. The most infuriating thing about this figure is the lack of swivels in her biceps. I’m constantly being rebuffed in my efforts to pose her because of these missing swivels.

Goes to show you, you can’t always rely on the opinions of others. Apart from some missing articulation, I think Kitty Pryde turned out just fine. I’ll confess, she wasn’t at the top of my list of X-Men that I wanted to see released in this line, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t happy to add her to my collection.

Nov 5 2010

Marvel Universe: Winter Soldier by Hasbro

I’ve been looking forward to getting this figure, because I’m a pretty big fan of Winter Soldiers’ backstory. For whatever reason I’ve always enjoyed seeing elements of The Cold War bleed into my comic book storylines. I also love the way twisted circumstances basically turned Bucky into Cap’s polar opposite. Anyway, with Winter Soldier’s specialty in weapons and his bionic arm, he’s a perfect recipe for a great action figure. Obviously, Hasbro recognized this too and they definitely delivered on the goods with this figure.

The artwork on the card is pretty good. He looks pissed off, but you would be too if you had been frozen, brainwashed and used as a tool by the filthy Commies. He’s also brandishing both of the weapons included with the figure, which is a cool touch. The bubble displays the figure and his weapons nicely.

Winter Soldier’s body sculpt consists of a fairly non-descript, dark blue jumpsuit with high collar and a tiny zipper sculpted into the front of the chest. He’s also got a thins trap running across his torso and a shoulder strap where his bionic arm is. The bionic arm is sculpted into segments, has a soft plastic cable running the length of it and a nice Red Star sculpted into the shoulder. I really like what Hasbro did with the head sculpt, with the hair molded as a separate piece. Winter Soldier has a cool gunbelt, holster and thigh strap, all made from one piece of soft plastic.

There isn’t a whole lot of paintwork on this figure, but what’s here is really good. The tarnished metal finish on the bionic arm looks really nice and the paintwork around his mask is executed with precision. I think the thing I find most impressive is the intricate little bit of paintwork applied to the zipper on his shirt.

Winter Soldier comes with a figure stand, profile card, Top Secret document and two weapons, a pistol and an assault rifle with an under-the-barrel grenade launcher. Both weapons are cast entirely in black, are nicely sculpted and basically look like what you might get with a modern GI JOE figure. He can hold both weapons really well, and the pistol fits into his hip holster.

The articulation on this figure comes up a little short compared to sum, but with 18 points, it’s still pretty good. You get a ball jointed neck. The arms have ball joints in the shoulders, swivels in the wrists and biceps and hinged elbows. The legs have ball joints in the hips, double hinged knees and hinges and swivels in the ankles. He also has a ball joint in the torso. He’s missing the waist swivel that most of the male figures have and I would have liked a couple of swivels in the thighs. Still, his articulation is none too shabby.

I don’t know what the general popularity of Winter Soldier is, but if you’re a fan like me, I think you’ll really dig this figure. But even if you aren’t a fan, I think this guy would be a nice pick-up for GI JOE collectors. Either as a potential custom or just as he is, he would fit in pretty well with that whole universe.

Nov 4 2010

Marvel Universe: Thor (Modern Version) by Hasbro

I can’t say I’ve ever been a huge fan of Thor. It may have to do with the old cartoon they used to run when I was a kid, with that corny opening theme song. I’m pretty sure it scarred me deep down inside. At the same time, I’ve enjoyed many of his comic appearances, and I am finally starting to look forward to the upcoming movie as we continue to strike our path toward the Avengers film. I’m not sure yet whether I’ll be picking up many of Thor’s movie figures, but I do know that I’m very happy to have this Thor figure that Hasbro released in the MU series.

Yep, same packaging. Even as someone who doesn’t care a whole lot about Thor, I gotta say I love the artwork. Thor’s a pretty meaty figure and between him and his cape he takes up most of the bubble. I love the way his hammer, Mjolnir, is so prominantly mounted right beside his head.

Thor is definitely up there as being of the most detailed and complex sculpts in the MU series thus far. Every tiny bit of this figure is brimming with loving attention to detail. His hauberk shows wrinkles, his chainmail is comprised of a sculpted checkered pattern. His soft plastic cape is actually fastened by two of the huge rivets on his chest, while brown belts and straps crisscross his boots, waist and chest. The headsculpt is pretty good, although his nose seems a little too flat and broad for a perfect likeness, but his long blonde hair is reproduced in soft plastic as are the feathered wings on his helmet.

As good as the sculpt is, there’s also a lot of paintwork to back it up. Thor’s hauberk and boots appear to be a gunmetal blue with some black mixed in. The chainmail is matte silver as are the rivets in his hauberk and his helm. It might have been cool to see a high gloss, metallic silver on these parts, but the more rustic matte silver has its own charms. His belts are brown and his cape is a deep maroon. There’s also very little slop or bleeding on the paintwork.

Thor comes with a figure stand, profile card and Top Secret document. He also comes with his trusty hammer, Mjolnir, of course. The sculpt on the hammer is every bit as good as the figure. The head of the hammer is pitted and worn and the handle is sculpted with braided straps, ending in a lanyard.

Articulation? Oh yeah. You get a ball jointed neck. The arms have ball joints in the shoulders, swivels in the biceps and wrists and hinged elbows. The legs have ball joints in the hips, swivels in the thighs, double hinged knees and hinges and swivels in the ankles. Thor also has a ball joint in the torso and a swivel in the waist. That’s a total of 21 points of articulation. Unfortunately, the figure is a bit top heavy and he has a habit of toppling over even when he’s plugged into his stand.

Hey, even if you’re like me and a little lukewarm on Thor, it’s still hard to deny this is a really great figure all around. Besides, which, he’s essential to building your Avengers team, so you might as well get him anyway. He’s not terribly uncommon on the pegs, at least not in my area where MU figures tend to be rare finds. In fact, he’s one of the very few MU figures that I was able to track down in a store when I was looking for him, rather than have to go the online ordering route.

Nov 4 2010

Marvel Universe: Juggernaut by Hasbro

Back when I was collecting Marvel Legends, Juggernaut was my absolute favorite figure. I really wish I still had him, if for no other reason because he now goes for a hefty sum on Ebay. I was mighty glad to be able to get him again, even in this diminished scale as part of Marvel Universe.

The card features some great artwork and as expected, Juggernaut really fills out the card’s deeper bubble. Juggs is appropriately large, easily measuring up to The Hulk and The Thing in terms of height and bulk.

My favorite thing about this sculpt is the way Hasbro molded Juggernaut’s face and helmet as two pieces. It adds great depth to the figure’s head and really makes him look like his helmet is removable even though it isn’t. The texturing, sculpted bolts, and paint job on the helmet also makes it look a lot like weathered, pitted old metal. Fantastic. His muscular is wonderfully sculpted and the straps on his arms and fists are nicely reproduced here as well. His bicep straps are actually separate pieces and even the treads on his boots are intricately sculpted.

Juggernaut is more or less a three colored figure. You have the brown outfit, his skintone and the maroon for his belt and boots. Most of the figure is molded in the appropriate colors, so there aren’t a lot of paint apps at work here, although the brown parts have a nice deeper shading.

Along with the figure stand, Juggernaut comes with his profile card and his Top Secret document. I don’t usually have a lot to say about the documents, but Juggernaut’s is hillariously a handwritten threatening letter to Osborne telling him to leave him alone. I just can’t help picturing Juggernaut hunched over a desk feverishly hammering out this letter. Great stuff. He actually has surprisingly good penmanship.

The articulation is on par with the rest of the MU lineup, although Juggernaut’s huge sculpted muscles make some of his joint movement more limited than usual. I’m not sure what type of joint is used on the neck, but his head can pretty much just turn. His arms have ball jointed shoulders, hinged elbows and swivels in the biceps and forearms. His legs have ball joints at the hips, swivels in the thighs, double hinged knees and swivels at the top of the boots. He also has a ball joint in the torso.
Basically, this is my definition of a “must have” figure. Sure, it helps that I love the X-Men and the Juggernaut character, but even still, it’s hard to find much not to like here. He’s a big, beautifully sculpted and hefty figure, and well worth the extra couple of bucks I had to pay to get him online.

Nov 4 2010

Marvel Universe: AIM Soldier by Hasbro

I know. With dozens of excellent Marvel Universe figures to choose from, why am I wasting a slot on mister canary pants, here? Well, truth be told, the MU themed week is going to have to outlive its originally intended week-long run, if I’m ever going to get to all the figures I want to look at, so don’t worry, he’s not taking anything away from any of the other figures. Besides, the Galactic Empire had its Stormtroopers, Cobra has its Vipers, and Marvel has its AIM soldiers. Although the Empire would take on any old Clone and I doubt Cobra’s hiring standards were all that rigid, but you had to be a PhD or at least have a Masters Degree to don the yellow jumpsuit of AIM and get a crack at taking down one of Marvel’s superheroes.

Same old packaging. The artwork here isn’t all that exciting, but the bubble shows off the figure and his weapons pretty well.

The sculpt is certainly faithful to the character design, but there just isn’t a lot to it. The most trademark aspect of the figure is his big helmeted flattop head, which, along with his screened visor makes him look like a beekeeper gone postal. What detail is here is mostly just wrinkles in his uniform. He has a black bandolier strap, which is a separate piece, complete with sculpted ammo pouches and a couple of canister grenades. The only other detail worth mentioning is the sculpted belt.

There aren’t a lot of paint apps here either. The figure is molded almost entirely in matte yellow. His boots and collar are black and he’s got a gold belt with grey panels and his screen visor is painted grey too. Some shading or wash would have helped make this guy a little more exciting.

The Soldier comes with a figure stand, profile card and the usual Top Secret document. He also has two weapons, a large bazooka-looking weapon and a pistol. Both pieces are molded in black plastic.

The AIM Soldier’s articulation is great, with a total of 20 points. He has a ball jointed neck. His arms have ball jointed shoulders, swivels in his biceps and wrists, and hinged elbows. His legs have ball jointed hips, swivels in the thighs, double hinged knees and his ankles are hinged and swivel. He also has a ball joint in his torso.

So yeah, in a Universe of amazing characters, the AIM Soldier here isn’t the most exciting guy around. I probably wouldn’t have picked him up if I hadn’t spent so much time beating the hell out of hundreds of these guys playing Marvel Ultimate Alliance on my Xbox. Say what you will, he fits the original design perfectly and is a good potential army builder if you want some thugs to battle against your heroes.